The International Olympic Committee made it official Thursday, declaring that Girard will be awarded the gold medal in the 63-kilogram weight class from the 2012 Summer Games.

Girard, who grew up in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., became the first Canadian woman to win a weightlifting medal when she finished third at the London Games.

Girard was initially awarded bronze but after the IOC ordered retesting of more than 1500 urine samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012, the samples from two athletes who placed ahead of Girard, Maiya Maneza of Kazakhstan and Svetlana Tsarukaeva of Russia, were found positive for doping.

They were disqualified losing their placings and medals. The IOC has said their samples contained evidence of steroids.